Boulder County’s inventory is low, making it a seller’s market. With fewer homes for sale, sellers are in the best position to negotiate not only the price of their home, but the terms of their contract making it a great time to sell. Even if you are looking to relocate later in the year, now may be the perfect time to put your home on the market. Here are a few scenarios to help you decide.

Scenario 1: You’re moving out of Boulder County

Even if your move is planned for later in the year, putting your house on the market now may be the perfect move. Selling early in the year means less competition later from spring sellers. This makes it very likely your home will sell before you move, alleviating the worry of two mortgages.

Scenario 2: We

Hello, my name is Barb Passalacqua, and I am thrilled to join the team at BoulderHomeSource. Growing up in family of developers my infatuation with real estate began at an early age. My husband and I have bought and sold many properties in Boulder County over the last 20 years, so becoming a Realtor just made sense.

For me, helping people is a pleasure and I am good at advocating for my clients whether they are buying or selling. One client in particular was very rewarding. They have a daughter with severe allergies related to household toxins. They needed help fast. I found them a nice home that had no allergens but did have all the features they wanted in a second home. It was wonderful to see everyone happy and healthy in their new Boulder home.

2. Chautauqua, BoulderDo the Flatirons ever offer a bad view? Enjoy one of several hikes up and around Chautauqua to appreciate the yellow aspen leaves against a background of golden prairie grass and red flagstone.

3. Gunbarrel, Between Boulder and LongmontMost people don't think of Gunbarrel as a leaf viewing destination, however both Twin Lake Park and walking trails around Boulder Country Club offer

Finally, we’re out of the deep freeze. That’s what it felt like around the Boulder Valley as January gave way to February. Unfortunately, Punxsutawney Phil, the Seer of Sears, the Prognosticator of Prognostications, predicted six more weeks of winter when he saw his shadow on February 2nd. I’m betting on (hoping for) an early spring.

The holidays are a distant memory and real estate buyers and sellers focus now turns to what they do best - buying and selling. The inventory of available properties will begin to grow as the weather improves, but will remain at a low level as demand continues to exceed supply. For Boulder County, active single family home listings stood at 725 at the end of January/2014. At the end of January/2013 there

Since the peak year of 2005, the Boulder Valley real estate market has been climbing a steep hill back to respectability. It has been a slow process. Sales activity in years 2006 through 2009 were on a downward spiral. The market stabilized in 2009 through 2011, then began an upward shift in 2012. This past year we saw market activity approach 2007 in Boulder County for single family home sales (3,491 vs. 3,570) and attached unit sales (1,329 vs. 1,426). The market is still about 17% behind 2005 sales numbers, but headed in the right direction.

Below is an overview of sales activity for the past two years for single family homes in the various Boulder Valley areas, courtesy of IRES – the Northern Colorado MLS.

Colorado is known for ski resorts. If you want to spend time on the slopes, you need to know where to go for your next trip through the snow. Here are the best choices throughout Boulder for your next ski vacation.

Arapahoe Basin

This is a well-known ski resort with plenty to offer. They added the Montezuma Bowl recently and now there's over 600 acres of snowy fun here. This isn't a ski area with very many frills, however. Just chair lifts, a day lodge and a parking lot. However, if you want to enjoy a mealy, the cafeteria has decent food for an affordable price.

Echo Mountain

A big terrain park, Echo Mountain is a great place to enjoy skiing fun. They provide a little bit of something for everybody.

It's time to lace up your skates, sharpen those blades and hit the ice. Both indoor and outdoor ice rinks are found throughout the Boulder area and this is the time of the year to skate. Here are some of the best choices for you to enjoy the ice.

Image via: louisvilleco.gov

Winterskate

Two locations provide plenty of skating including:

Steinbaugh Pavilion, 824 Front Street, Louisville

Hours here are 2pm to 8pm Monday through Wednesday, 2pm to 10pm Thursdays, 12pm to 10pm Friday, 10am to 10pm on Saturdays and 10am to 9pm on Sundays. They provide extended ours during no-school days.

FlatIron Crossing in Broomfield

This rink is open from 11am to 8pm Monday through Friday, 11am to 9pm on Saturdays and from 11am to 6pm Sunday. They stay open,

Eldora Mountain Resort is a local ski resort that is very popular with Front Range residences. A mere 21 miles from downtown Boulder and 4 miles from Nederland, this little mountain sees a ton of action every year. This hip-hoppin’ resort first opened in the early 60’s and is still one of only a couple ski resorts east of the Continental Divide. Known for their exceptional snow making ability, convenience, affordability, and mix of runs; Eldora Ski Resort is loved by local ski, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing enthusiasts. Whether you live in Boulder or are just visiting the area, you have to check out Eldora Ski Resort if you love to ski.

In general the feel is Eldora is unlike that of the super resorts like Vail, Winter Park,